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Conventional and New Viewpoints on Electrostatic Pressure Transducers

The classic pressure transducer exists in two forms, neither of which is ideally suited for recordings employing only two or three microphones. Capsules of practical size affect high frequency polar response, dictating design alternatives that beg the question, "What is a 'flat' microphone?" The author traces the theoretical and practical evolution of a new transducer tailored to the requirements of these increasingly popular minimal-mike techniques. The paper concludes with the description of a new boundary layer capsule. While noting the particular advantages of such designs, the author stresses the influence of the immediate environment on their performance.